Fully loaded the Gale Force will house everything you need for a day in the backcountry.

Rugged and waterproof (with a closed zip) the Gale Force chestpack is just at home on your hip.

Chest Pack for all Season:
If there was one piece of equipment you can rely to safely house all your peripheral tackle then the Orvis Gale Force chest pack surely comes top of the list. This not only stood up to the rigours of a recent expedition to New Zealand, but more than proved its worth in the extremes of saltwater fishing too. With only one dividing compartment and front zip pocket it might not be all frills and flashing lights, however it’s good, honest kit that will serve you well as either a chest or hip pack on its own or in conjunction with a backpack.

With an abundance of skills, Louis Noble will make a valuable contribution to the Orvis guides, here he admires a thumping grayling taken on the Tenkara rod.

Louis Noble joins Pro Guide team:
Orvis pride themselves in high standards when it comes to their Pro guides or instructors and they really don’t come any better than Shropshire based Louis Noble. With over 50 years game angling experience under his belt, Orvis are delighted to welcome Louis into their guide program. A qualified APGAI instructor, Louis spends the majority of his time as a full time guide in the beautiful Dee valley of north Wales. Although fully conversant with all disciplines he specialises in spey casting techniques which are required on his home rivers. In fact, such is Louis’s passion for casting he occupies the post of Chairman on the GAIA board of examiners. A talented fly tyer Louis frequently contributes to the UK’s premier publication of Trout & Salmon. More recently, he’s become a dab hand with the Tenkara method which has gained him a huge following. So whether it’s dressing a Clyde style flee, or learning the double haul, Louis’s your man!

The World’s lightest Fly Box…
Travelling fishermen always face the dilemma of how many flies boxes are required for a given trip? Ideally, each and every fly box we own should always be close to hand for those “just in case” moments that have a habit of cropping up when you least expect them. However, it’s surprising how much a half a dozen fly boxes weigh, especially when airport luggage restrictions see us trying to shave off as many ounces as possible from our bulging duffle bags. Thankfully, the Orvis Lightweight fly boxesare as light as the proverbial feather, enabling you to carry all the flies you’ll ever need without the fear of breaching silly luggage allowances. What’s more they float too, which means there’s no danger of your precious flies being lost in the inky depths.

Lighter than ever with improved strength the Helios 2 rods are generating a fair amount of interest.

Helios 2 generates interest at GAC:
Attending the Glasgow Angling Centre weekend recently, an encouraging number of visitors and customers expressed genuine interest in the new Helios 2 rod range, in particular the 104-4 and 103-4models. To be fair, it’s difficult to see how Orvis rod designers could better our original Helios, and yet they’ve succeeded. It’s all down to proprietary materials that reduce swing weight and increase strength. The key advantage being a more responsive blank with improved energy transition that does exactly what you ask of it. Orvis UK headquarters are extremely excited about this range which goes on sale from April.

Whether you’re a beginner out to learn the ropes or a more seasoned rod looking for advanced techniques, covering all aspects of fly fishing, Orvis have a full compliment of schools and courses scheduled for 2013. Be it trout or salmon these include one day and residential courses from the Highlands of Scotland down to the Chalkstreams of Hampshire. Here’s a few spring dates to kick off the season

Paul Procter Chalkstream Trout Course: Held Saturday 13th April on the Test at Kimbridge. Covering everything from knots to bugs and various fishing techniques this course has something for everyone (lunch included).

Beginners One Day for Ladies: Held Sunday 21st on the Test. Ladies, now is your chance to practice the gentle art of fly fishing. Run by instructors Gilly Bate and Ellie Ervine this course will be of interest to both the complete beginner and ladies wishing to improve (tackle provided).

Beginners One Day Stillwater Fly-Fishing School - Hampshire: Held on Sunday 21st April this one day instructional programme is aimed at the complete novice. All the basics are covered including safety, tackle selection, casting, fly selection and playing fish.

Beginners River and Lake Combination Weekend: Saturday 27th April & Sunday 28th April 2013 this two-day school is aimed at those wishing to gain confidence in stillwater and chalkstream fly fishing techniques. Saturday will be spent on a Stillwater in North Hampshire and Sunday at Kimbridge on the River Test (lunch included both days, excludes accommodation).